


IF

by Moonlitgems



Series: Moon's Ermin week 2016 [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Nurse!Jean, Sick Characters, Slightly Sad, Virtual Reality, armin's pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-05-25
Packaged: 2018-06-10 14:45:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6961234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlitgems/pseuds/Moonlitgems
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The reality of it all was too cruel and tomorrow seemed like a 1000 years away.</p><p>(DAY3: video games)</p>
            </blockquote>





	IF

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I'm a bit late to join the ermin 2016 train. Work kept me from posting but I'll post the first two days later? ( not sure if that's allowed or what not but whatever.) I'm not very good at quick dribbles so forgive me if it makes no sense or is boring. I wrote this in my phone during my breaks too so, yeah. Any way, enjoy Day 3 of ermin week, guys!

**IF ONLY THESE TWO FEET OF MINE WERE FREE TO RUN AROUND**  

There he sat staring up at the sky. He wasn't sure why he'd come back. More specifically, he wasn't sure why he decided to come back just to sit outside. Armin Arlert was not known to be an outside person. In fact, he hated being outside, around other people, but there he was. His lithe frame was lying on soft grass as he contemplated why he'd come to this place once again. The Sun was too bright. The air too warm. There were people passing him, talking loudly with no regard for his presence. Not that he cared. He was used to staring, in both disgust and pity. The people who ignored him were far better than those who did approach him. So to be left alone to his own devices was perfectly fine with him.

"Welcome back, Armin." A voice said loudly beside him. Startled by the sudden noise he turned his eyes away from brilliant blue to be lost in stormy grey. Now he remembered why he was here.

"Eren." Armin said sitting up to see the man, who belonged to the unmatchable hazel eyes.

He was lean, muscular, and tanned just enough that he didn't look the way Armin did. Eren was strong and could fight. The perfect warrior for what ever battle they could come across. Moreover, had a kindness that was unlike most others. Over the months that they'd known each other armin had learnt so much about him. The man had become his best friend.

"It's good to be back." He said letting a small smile spread across his face. It truly was good to be 'back', despite choosing to be outside.

Here he could spend and afternoon with Eren, talking about the world beyond the stone colored walls that were the boundry of their world. They'd done it so many times before, wasting the day away lying next to each other. Or Eren would drag him off on a tour of the town.

"What shall we do today?" Armin asked standing from his spot on the ground, brushing his dirty blond locks out of his face.

"Can we go to the ocean?" Eren said as he stood with a hopeful grin on his face.

It was the same request as the day before and the day before that. Ever since he had talked about his dream, of going to see the ocean, with Eren. Armin lowered his gaze to the ground not wanting to deny Eren's request.

They couldn't go to the ocean. Since, Eren could only stay where they were and Armin was stuck where he was. They could only meet in this small, nameless town, where Eren lived. With people who walked past talking loudly, stuck on repeat.

"Armin," It was the same as the last time. It was like their lives were on repeat.

Only armin knew the truth. He turned up to look at eren as everything around them shuttered into a gather of mismatching pixels before returning to their original form. It was a glitch. One that kept happening no matter how armin recoded the program. The site of it caused a terrible ache to form in Armin's chest and his body to feel a quick weightlessness. It was gone as quick as it came but it left Armin's body trembling with fear of what might happen.

"What's wrong?" Eren asked, a worried expression on his face.

The look had almost made him forget that his best friend was not real. Eren was an A.I. program he'd found on a game from an old laptop his grandfather had gotten at a second-hand store. He couldn't help but remember the first time he'd come here.

How wonderful it was to run through the fields. To feel the grass and dirt between his toes. To Sprint and dance, to throw his arms up in the air and scream. To be able to do the things that had had not done in such a long time. Not to mention meeting Eren and becoming so close to the man, who stood before him.

To ask such a clueless question as 'what's wrong' Everything. Was what Armin wanted to scream at him. It was all wrong. The fact he was here. The glitch that wouldn't go away. The man that stood In front of him. None of it was real. The desire for it to be real ripped through Armin's body, increasing the pain he felt. It was all wrong but he wanted it to be as right as it felt.

"We can go tomorrow, if you don't want to today." Eren said sounding disappointed as he usually would but today there was an obvious tone of worry lacing his voice.

He couldn't hope that they would. This was all just an illusion. A fantasy to distract him from the inevitable fate he would soon face.

"Can we explore the town today?" Armin whispered, rubbing at his face. There were no tears falling but he still felt like he was crying.

"Yeah." Eren said, a weak smile back on to his face. The two then began to walk toward the town, which was simply a couple of buildings beside each other making it look like a normal little town with small businesses.

It was a nice place despite being a program. There  were lots of places to explore, the NPCs walked past you like you were invisible. It wasn't a bad place. A tap against his hand brought him out of his admiration to see Eren had moved away from him slightly. A blush was spread across his face.

"Are you okay?" Armin asked, still surprised by the human-like reactions Eren gave, even though he'd seen it a thousand times before. Eren on the on the other hand just nodded.

"Race you to the middle!" Eren suddenly shouted before bolting away from Armin.

"H-Hey!" He shouted at Eren's retreating form as he followed after. Sadly, even in a virtual world he was slower that Eren.

No matter how he pushed himself Eren was always just out of arms reach. It was thrilling, being able to do this. To chase someone like they were playing tag. They'd do this from time to time. He enjoyed chasing Eren and being chased by Eren through town. It felt right. It made Armin's insides feel warm with a sense if happiness he'd only known as a child, before his life went to hell.

It was then, with that warmth radiating within him, it happened. The world around him went pixelated and his body went extremely light, mid-step, causing him to learch forward and fall to the ground. He quickly moved to stand, looking in the direction Eren had gone but the man was no where to be seen. "

Eren?" He called into the crowd, looking for any sign of the other make. "Where are you?" He said, quickly knowing that the NPCs wouldn't answer him.

He started to panic, when he got no answer. Eren had vanished in the crowd after the second glitch had swept through it all. Now he was alone in a throng of lifeless shadows. It frightened him. So many thoughts passed through his mind.

What if Eren disappeared? What if he was here now with no one? So, many 'what ifs' passed through his mind all at once.

"Dammit, don't do that to me." Eren's voice shouted as arms wrapped around Armin's shoulders. "I thought," He didn't finish his words causing Armin to see the color of sadness washing through Eren's eyes.

"Thought, what?" Armin saod, attempting to coax what was bothering the A.I.

"You were going to leave without saying 'Goodbye'." Eren whispered burying his face in the crook of Armin's neck.

"I would never do that to you, Eren." He replied, touching the arms that we're wrapped around him.

The warmth of his embrace felt wonderful of Armin's cold skin. All thoughts of this being fake left him that moment. He could afford to lose himself for a little while, to escape from the reality that nibbled at the edges if his mind. He could at least pretend to be happy.

"Come on, let's walk the rest of the way." Eren spoke softly as he pulled away, taking Armin's hand. The two walked to the center of town, where a river flowed, splitting the town in half. It was their favorite spot, they could spend hours sitting there just enjoying one another's company. And that's what they did. Only, Eren didn't let go of Armin's hand.

There was obviously something on Eren's mind but Eren didn't look like he wanted to talk about it. So, they didn't, they just sat there and watched river flow.

"The sun's setting." Armin said after hours of relaxing with Eren. The sun inside of their world was indeed setting. He knew that he had to go back, not that he wanted to. "I should go." He added, hoping deep within his heart Eren would ask him to stay, to give him a reason to stay.

"You'll come back?" Eren said, denying Armin of his secret desire. Instead, he smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." His voice sound a little higher than usual but he still stood to leave. As he logged out though he heard Eren call out his name so he looked back at the Eren's sorrow filled eyes.

"I love you." It was just a above a whisper, but Armin caught it as the world dimmed around him and he felt someone shaking him. Pulled his virtual reality goggles off of his face to see his nurse hovering over him.

"Jean?" He spoke in a frail crackling voice that sounded so unlike him. The man let out a sigh of relief.

"Armin, thank God! Why didn't you answer me?" He said, quickly grabbing Armin's bone thin arm, to check his vitals. "I thought you'd died!" Nice bed side manners, as always Jeam. He wanted to snap but he couldn't find the energy that he had while with Eren. "How do you feel?"Jean said looking at the iv bag that hung beside Armin's bed.

"Fine." He sighed, the questions Jean asked were more repetitive than the NPCs of his and Eren's world.

"Really? Your heart rate monitor says otherwise." The words came out in a snap, which Armin could tell the nurse regretted.

"Oh..." He simply sighed in response, knowing what that meant. Looking down at the blanked screened laptop and his virtual reality device, he could only wish Eren was here beside him.

But there was no Eren, no one there to tell him that everything would be okay. He was still bed ridden. He was still dying. He was still alone.

"The Doctor's on his way." The nurse's words didn't matter to him. Nothing mattered in this world.

The reality of it all was too cruel and tomorrow seemed like a 1000 years away.

**I'D TAKE A RUNNING START OUTSIDE OF THIS ROOM, FAR AWAY...**

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so, not quite a video game but I hope it counts. I mean, virtual reality is a 'game' so yeah. (If you're going to Kill me do it after my series stories are done. Pls&thnk u.
> 
> The title and subtitle are from a song called 'IF' by Megurine, Luka. It inspired me?  
> Anyway hope to post the other days and my actual stories this week!


End file.
